For most people, karaoke is just a funny activity but for my family it is a tradition that we do every time we get to see each other at any type of family gatherings, it is a hobby that my grandparents and past generations always did but my grandparents are the ones that brought it to California with them. They wanted to immigrate to the states for their family because they were having a hard time on the islands so they decided to move to the United States to provide a better life for the next generations. A karaoke machine is an object that will have a speaker to play a song that you chose and also has a screen to show you the lyrics to the song so that you can sing with whoever you want. My dad’s side of the family is Filipino who typically love karaoke which is how I discovered this tradition when I was a small kid. Karaoke was first a thing in Japan but Filipinos turned it into a really big and fun activity because they were the first to actually make the karaoke machine. My family loves karaoke so much that any time we get together whether it’s at a birthday, marriage, or even a funeral we always have the karaoke machine with us to use no matter what. Even though I don’t sing and do karaoke because I get to shy to sing in front of a group of people, it is still important because it reminds me of my family and all the great times I’ve had with them but it really reminds me of all the things that they have taught me about my family’s background.

– Ethan Basa

Relationship:  Grandchild of im/migrant Grandchild of im/migrant